Crystal Hearts: Volume 1: Darkness
by pandoraElf
Summary: A meeting of the Six Kingdoms at Radiant Garden reveals to them that Ansem is gone, and the various superpowers begin to prepare for war...Little do they know that something far more dangerous is coming…
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue:**

Ansem Report 015:

It has come to my attention, while studying the Heart, how similar it is to the various Crystals detailed in the legends of the surrounding kingdoms. Like the Heart, they are symbols of peace, harmony, the universe as a whole, and most of all, light.

However, they also have the same weaknesses that the Heart can fall prey to.

Chaos…

Greed…

Ambition…

Hate…

Nothingness…

Destruction…

Anger…

And of course, Darkness.

But most of all, it has drawn my attention to the fact that prophecies state that time and time again, those who wish to utilize the Crystals for their own goals will appear. They have in the past, and as stated by many seers throughout the ages, they will in the future.

This makes me realize. Could someone come to possess my research in the future, and then use the knowledge contained within it to manipulate Hearts to their own purposes? My mind tells me that such a thing should be impossible - Hearts are metaphysical, and could not possibly be utilized by any but divine beings...and yet, I grow uneasy.

I shall call off my research, and tell my apprentices to do the same. If they continue...who knows what could happen...


	2. Chapter 2

**Prologue II**

Master Xehanort: Report 016:

In the process of combing through the archives of the Land of Departure, I have discovered several tales of Heartless that are far more powerful than any seen in my lifetime. These Heartless, in the past, were the one threat there was before the arrival of the Keyblade War. A common term for these beings was: Fiends.

While I personally find the labeling of them as such to be a misnomer, due to their lack of a hellish nature, I have to acknowledge the fear they must have inspired to earn the moniker.

Fiends, as far as I can deduce, proceed through a variety of phases in their growth.

Their initial stage is like many Heartless, only more powerful, having been born from a heart of considerable darkness. During this stage, they feast on the hearts of sentient beings like any other Heartless. Their only defining nature is their strength, but I surmise that they could be taken down by any Keyblade Wielder of moderate power.

However, after some time and a considerable number of hearts, they proceed to the second phase, in which they can no longer sustain themselves on hearts with any light in them. As such, they retreat to the Realm of Darkness and begin to feast entirely on Heartless. While no one has ever encountered a second stage Fiend, due to their solitude within the Darkness. However, if one _was_ to encounter one, I suspect it could only be defeated by a Keyblade Wielder of Master status or higher (although the latter has not existed for centuries).

After consuming enough Heartless, the third phase commences, in which the Fiend supposedly gains a status that most think impossible; sentience. This is not to say that the heart that originally became the Fiend regains its mind; rather, the conglomeration of hearts that the Fiend has now become gains a mind of its own, that goes beyond the basic instincts of most Heartless, who live only to feed on darkness. Most Fiends within the third stage use their newfound intelligence to wisely stay away from most societies, due to the knowledge that Keyblade Wielders would descend upon them in response. However, from the times that they have come into contact with us, I have deduced that it would take three or more Keyblade Masters to defeat one.

However, the power of third stage Fiends pales in comparison to that of Fiends in the fourth and, as far as we know, final stage. During this time, the Fiend's sentience begins to dissolve under the weight of both the hearts that it has consumed, as well as the light of the realm that it now resides in. Eventually, the Fiend loses its sentience entirely, and begins to rely on instinct again. As such, it begins once again to attack nearby settlements. However, during this time, it inexplicably has a power surge that multiplies its strength. As such, it takes a full dozen Keyblade Masters to take down even the weakest fourth stage Fiends.

Prior to the great Keyblade War, these Fiends, especially the fourth stage ones, were the greatest threat to the realm of light there was. However, considering the fact that the number of Keyblade Wielders has dwindled since then, logically, the number of Fiends in the fourth stage must have increased. And yet, there have been no known incidents of attacks on settlements. It is almost as if the number of fourth stage Fiends have decreased along with the number of Keyblade Wielders.

Private Note:

I find it interesting how a Fiend could gain sentience after consuming Heartless. I wonder...would it be possible for a powerful enough heart to bypass the first and second stages completely? This may require further research...


End file.
